WASHINGTON (CNN) - Fresh off endorsing Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee last month, actor Chuck Norris has penned a fundraising e-mail Tuesday on behalf of the Arkansas Republican, and he's making several demands.

"The first thing I need you to do today is make a contribution in support of Mike Huckabee's campaign," the "Walker Texas Ranger" star writes in the e-mail carrying the subject “Mike Huckabee is Chuck Norris approved”.

"The second thing I need you to do today is ask at least one friend to make a contribution to Mike's campaign," Norris continues. "The third and final thing I need you to do today is to tell your friends and family members that aren't able to contribute at this time to Mike's campaign to at least sign up for his email updates."

Norris endorsed Huckabee late last month, declaring in his online column, "I believe the only one who has all of the characteristics to lead America forward into the future is ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee."

Huckabee registered 10 percent in the latest national CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll of registered Republicans. But the former Arkansas governor is doing considerably better in the early-voting state of Iowa. The latest American Research Group poll of likely Iowa GOP caucus-goers places him in second place with 19 percent - trailing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by 8 percentage points.

(CNN) - Sen. Barack Obama Tuesday dismissed an e-mail attack being circulated about him that questions his patriotism, and he vowed to vigorously defend himself from this assault as well as questions about his religious beliefs.

"I don’t mind them arguing with me about policy, but don’t let them question my patriotism," said Obama, responding to a question about the email following a speech before the United Auto Workers in Dubuque, Iowa. “And listen, I am not going to be swift boated at this race. If somebody comes at me I am going to come right back at them hard."

The e-mail purports to show Obama not placing his hand over his heart during a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance at a campaign event.

"We were not saying the Pledge of Allegiance,” Obama said. “We were singing the Star Spangled Banner."

Obama also took time to respond to a rumor that claims he was educated in a madrassa, and raised as a Muslim.

"If I were a Muslim I would let you know," he said. "But I am a member of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th street on the South side of Chicago. We got the best choir in town and if you all want to come and worship with us you are more than welcome."

When the madrassa rumor first surfaced in January, CNN sent a correspondent to Jakarta, Indonesia, and determined it was false.

Las Vegas is a boomtown, literally. Take Tuesday night's giant implosion of the Frontier Hotel. It was the Las Vegas Strip's first themed casino. It went up in 1942 and came down at 2:30 a.m. (5:30 a.m. ET) Tuesday.

Elvis Presley and Siegfried and Roy made their Vegas debuts at the Frontier, and Ronald Reagan performed there.

The new Edwards ad plays up his biography as the son of a mill worker.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) - Former Sen. John Edwards will become the first Democratic presidential candidate to run television ads in South Carolina on Wednesday morning when his campaign launches a new TV spot tailored to Palmetto State voters.

The 30-second ad - entitled "America's Jobs and America's Workers" - echoes the populist themes Edwards has used during his campaign. According to the Edwards campaign, the ad "highlights Senator Edwards' experience growing up in rural Carolina mill towns."

"My father worked in this mill and others like it for 30 years," Edwards says in the ad, which will run statewide. "I worked in it when I was young. Now it's closed, the jobs are gone. For too many, it's just about profit and greed. They're wrong. It's about the dignity of a job and doing what’s right for America's workers."

The ad was filmed outside the mill in Robbins, North Carolina where Edwards' father Wallace Edwards worked for years.

"I'm John Edwards and I approve this message because we don’t need another president that puts wealth above work," the ad concludes. "So, if you're ready to stand with me for American jobs and America’s workers, your time is now."

Edwards trails Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama significantly in state polls. Both Clinton and Obama have run radio ads in South Carolina aimed at African-Americans, who make up an estimated 50 percent of Democratic primary voters in South Carolina.

Still, Edwards won the primary here in 2004 after capitalizing on momentum from his second-place finish in Iowa, and his campaign routinely states that voters will remember the fact that Edwards was born in South Carolina to a rural, working family.

Both the Clinton and Obama campaigns have remained mum on their television plans.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) - Here's a quick look at what's making political news in South Carolina this morning:

The campaign of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee kicks off a "first ladies barnstorm of South Carolina" on Wednesday, featuring former Arkansas First Lady Janet Huckabee, former South Carolina First Ladies Iris Campbell and Mary Wood Beasley, as well as former Arkansas First Lady Gay White.

The three-day bus tour through South Carolina stops in Indianland, Aiken and Columbia today.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) – The key to winning the Nevada Democratic caucuses could hinge on the endorsement of a powerful Silver State union that represents 60,000 people who work in the state’s casinos.

Culinary Workers Union Local 226 is a must stop for the Democratic candidates whenever they come to town, and the presidential hopefuls are aggressively courting this influential organization.

“To win the Nevada caucuses, you have to get the union’s support,” said Jon Ralston, a non-partisan analyst considered the expert on Nevada politics.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colorado, predicted Tuesday that Western states will play a critical role in electing the next president.

"The road to the White House will lead directly through the West and directly through Nevada and Colorado," Salazar said in a conference call Tuesday with reporters.

Reid, who played an important role in helping his state earn the right to hold an early presidential nominating contest, credited the move for helping to bring attention to issues that affect Western Democrats, and declared Nevada's caucuses will be "the first test of real diversity."

For the latest, breaking political news, check for updates throughout the day on the CNN Political Ticker http://www.cnn.com/ticker. All politics, all the time.

Making News Today…

Viva Las Vegas

The seven Democratic presidential candidates head to Las Vegas Thursday for the CNN/Nevada Democratic Party Presidential Debate. This is the first event in the West to be sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee. Tune into CNN and keep checking back to http://www.CNNPolitics.com and http://www.cnn.com/ticker throughout the week for the latest on this historic event, as the Democratic candidates head into the homestretch in the race for their party’s presidential nomination.

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Democrats hoping to hit the union jackpot

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) - The key to winning the Nevada Democratic caucuses could hinge on the endorsement of a powerful Silver State union that represents 60,000 people who work in the state’s casinos.

Culinary Workers Union Local 226 is a must stop for the Democratic candidates whenever they come to town, and the presidential hopefuls are aggressively courting this influential organization.

“To win the Nevada caucuses, you have to get the union’s support,” said Jon Ralston, a non-partisan analyst considered the expert on Nevada politics. Full Story

- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

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Video: Las Vegas - Political boomtown

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) - Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider reports from Las Vegas on how the Nevada city's changing demographic makeup has also changed the political landscape in the Silver State.

Schneider also explains why what happens in Nevada on Election Day in 2008 may also happen all over the country. Full Story

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Reid, Salazar predict West will play key role in 2008 race

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colorado, predicted Tuesday that Western states will play a critical role in electing the next president.

"The road to the White House will lead directly through the West and directly through Nevada and Colorado," Salazar said in a conference call Tuesday with reporters.

Reid, who played an important role in helping his state earn the right to hold an early presidential nominating contest, credited the move for helping to bring attention to issues that affect Western Democrats, and declared Nevada's caucuses will be "the first test of real diversity." Full Story

- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

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The Best Political Team wants you

CNN is looking for an associate political editor with strong editing and reporting skills to help the network cover the historic 2008 elections. Primary responsibilities will be to edit and write for the CNN Political Ticker, as well as serve as an off-air reporter. Previous television experience is not required, but strong newswriting ability and experience covering politics are a must. Full Story

===========================================================Political Hot Topics
(Today's top political stories from news organizations across the country)

Compiled by Lindsey Pope
CNN Washington Bureau

New York Times: Polls Find Voters Weighing Issues vs. ElectabilityDemocratic voters in Iowa and New Hampshire — the states that begin the presidential nominating battle — say Senator Barack Obama and John Edwards are more likely than Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to say what they believe, rather than what they think voters want to hear, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Polls. But they also view Mrs. Clinton as the best prepared and most electable Democrat in the field, the polls found.

Salon.com's War Room: Edwards: I "Fully Expect" To Support The Nominee
As we noted earlier today, John Edwards refused to answer when asked the other day whether he'd support Hillary Clinton if she becomes the Democratic presidential nominee. Sen. Chris Dodd today tweaked Edwards for taking that stand - "I wonder which of the Republicans John prefers to Hillary," Dodd said in a statement…

LA Times: Is Clinton Campaign Too Scripted?
…by planting questions at what are supposed to be unscripted question-and-answer sessions with Iowa voters, Clinton may have fed perceptions that her campaign is too programmed for its own good, Democratic strategists said.

The Hill: Clinton Pours Cash Into S.C.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has more than tripled her campaign spending in South Carolina, taking aggressive action in a state political experts call a “must-win” for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) because of its high percentage of black voters.

LA Times: Iowans Are Seeing A Different Edwards
John Edwards still speaks with a honeyed Southern cadence, but he's showing sharper elbows and a willingness to jab at opponents in his travels through Iowa in pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination.

Chicago Tribune's The Swamp: Obama Discloses Top Fundraisers
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama released an updated list of his top fundraisers today that discloses new information on their activities and shows heavy backing from hedge-fund managers, financial industry executives and private investors.

Quad City Times: Obama Challenges Clinton on Trade Deals
Hillary Rodham Clinton's doubts about big foreign trade deals came only in the heat of the presidential campaign, Democratic rival Barack Obama said Tuesday, addressing labor leaders who strongly oppose many of the agreements.

Chicago Tribune: Paul: A Seller Of IdeasNo more Department of Education. No more Federal Reserve Bank. No more Medicare or Medicaid. No more membership in the United Nations or NATO. No more federal drug laws. And, no more U.S. troops in Iraq - or anywhere else on foreign soil. The Internal Revenue Service would be history in the first week that Ron Paul sits behind the desk in the Oval Office

Boston Globe: N.H. Poll: GOP Primary Stirring Independents
New Hampshire's huge bloc of independent voters, who can vote in either party's presidential primary and had been expected to opt overwhelmingly for the 2008 Democratic contest, are taking a new look at candidates on the Republican side, according to a Boston Globe poll by the University of New Hampshire.

Chicago Tribune: The GOP's Happy WarriorJohn McCain, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president, met with the Tribune editorial board Tuesday to discuss Iraq, Pakistan, immigration, politics . . . and the future of U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald.

NY Sun: Giuliani Derides Idea of a Crack AmnestyMayor Giuliani is adding his voice to a chorus of prosecutors and police groups warning against a proposal that could allow about 20,000 convicted crack cocaine dealers and users to win release from prison before their sentences are complete.

New York Times: Ex-Publisher’s Suit Plays a Giuliani-Kerik Angle
Judith Regan, the former book publisher, says in a lawsuit filed yesterday protesting her dismissal by the News Corporation… that a senior executive there encouraged her to lie to federal investigators about her past affair with Bernard B. Kerik after he had been nominated to become homeland security secretary in

Des Moines Register: Grassley Plans No Endorsement For Caucuses
Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, said Tuesday he does not expect to endorse a candidate before the 2008 caucuses in part because no GOP candidate has emerged as a clear favorite to beat Hillary Clinton, if she captures the Democratic nomination.

Wall Street Journal: Energy's Slippery Slope
As high oil prices drive up fuel costs, presidential candidates are likely to find themselves talking to voters who can no longer afford to keep their homes warm or their cars running.

New York Times: F.B.I. Says Guards Killed 14 Iraqis Without CauseFederal agents investigating the Sept. 16 episode in which Blackwater security personnel shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians have found that at least 14 of the shootings were unjustified and violated deadly-force rules in effect for security contractors in Iraq, according to civilian and military officials briefed on the case.

Roll Call: Millionaires’ Amendment Challenged
A Buffalo-area factory owner who nearly knocked off powerful Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.) in the previous election cycle may soon argue before the Supreme Court whether what's called the “Millionaires’ Amendment” trampled his Constitutional rights in his 2006 bid to topple the former National Republican Congressional Committee chairman.

Politico: White House Stocks K Street
From the beginning, the Bush White House created controversy by tapping scores of industry lobbyists to staff official positions. Now approaching its final days, the administration might have produced even more lobbyists than it took in.

Washington Times: Ads Target New House Democrats On War Funding
A pro-military group yesterday began an ad campaign targeting vulnerable House Democrats with a call to approve emergency funds for the war in Iraq. onservative netroots community, hungry for a new direction for their party, are expressing skepticism that a newly formed bicameral group of Republicans will help lead the GOP out of the minority.

===============================================================On the Trail:

Compiled by Lauren Kornreich and Katy Byron
CNN Washington Bureau

* Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani holds a meet-and-greet at the Village Inn in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Later, he heads to North Dakota for a speech in Fargo, and then travels back to Iowa to visit with local residents at B & L Vintage Brew and Sugar Shack in Rock Rapids. In the evening, Giuliani delivers a speech at the 26th Annual South Dakota Law Enforcement Appreciation & Children's Charities Dinner in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

* Former Sen. John Edwards, D-North Carolina, addresses the United Auto Workers' conference, and visits a picket line with nurses at Finley Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa. Later, Edwards holds town hall meetings in Monticello and Maquoketa.